


Honor, Power, Glory

by DarkstarJedi



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkstarJedi/pseuds/DarkstarJedi
Summary: After the fall of Horde Prime, Adora had begun having dreams of a distant planet and a castle. Following those dreams leads them to where it all began. Fifteen years later, a long dormant evil manifests itself and poses the greatest threat the universe has ever seen, and Bright Moon’s prince Adam, the powerless firstborn of Adora, Glimmer, and Catra, will need to call upon an ancient destiny to become a master of the universe.
Relationships: Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Bow/Mermista (She-Ra), Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra), Netossa/Spinnerella (She-Ra), Perfuma/Scorpia (She-Ra)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. What Is This Place?

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome everyone! This is an idea I’ve been kicking around and this is basically my take on the He-Man/She-Ra mythos. Obviously I’m gonna make some major changes but I cannot wait to get into this. Hope you enjoy! Comments welcome and greatly appreciated!

The ship made hardly a sound as it entered the unmarked planet’s atmosphere, parting the dark purple clouds of the atmosphere. A soft, rumbling thud fills the air as Mara’s ship came to rest on the rocky, barren ground. The walkway opened as Darla’s voiced chimed happily. “We have now arrived at Unnamed Planet #98492.” Heterochromic eyes rolled in a feline helmet as Catra began descending the walkway.

“Seriously? Entrapta’s a genius but she couldn’t figure out the names of some of these planets?” Catra quipped quietly. Adora shrugged as she followed her wife down the walkway, boots eventually colliding with foreign stone.

“She said some of Darla’s databanks were too damaged and corrupted to repair,” she reminded her, fingers intertwining. “That’s why we’ve had to come up with some of our own names for planets. I’m personally a big fan of Catratopia.” Catra couldn’t help but laugh at the planet Adora and Glimmer had christened in her honor as a birthday gift.

“You are such an idiot,” Catra cooed, playfully hipchecking Adora. They chatted idly for a few moments as they walked throughout the barren wastes, scanning the horizons for… something. After a while Catra removed her helmet, shaking her hair out. It had grown out a little bit since they had saved the world from Horde Prime. Not quite the pixie cut she once had and not nearly as long as it once was, it loosely fell almost to her shoulders in gentle tangles that Glimmer had yet to successfully tame. “Any idea what we’re actually looking for here? Or why we had to come all the way out here instead of being at home taking care of our wife?”

“Calm down, Catra, Glimmer insisted that the baby won’t be here for another month. Besides, we’re only a few minutes away by warp drive.” Adora smiled and squeezed Catra’s hand before removing her own helmet, her long blonde mane falling past her shoulder blades without a ponytail or poof of any kind. The two had indeed been sent by Glimmer after Adora had repeatedly discussed dreams about a desolate planet much like the one they’d touched down on, as well as a towering castle. At the queen’s insistence Adora had begun keeping a dream journal, and waking up she repeatedly found herself writing a repetitive numerical pattern. It didn’t take long for Bow to figure out that they were simply coordinates for a long-desolate planet, and Glimmer sent her wives off to figure out the source of Adora’s dreams before their child consumed their lives; one last adventure. “We’re looking for… I dunno, a castle or something. If I knew what it was we were looking for and what it meant, I don’t think we’d be here.”

Catra studied her wife’s face as they walked. In the burgeoning peacetime they’d found themselves in. The two of them were both struggling to adapt to an era without war, but Adora specifically had been wrestling with a lot lately. Both of them had been raised by the Horde been bred by war, but Catra couldn’t begin to fathom everything that weighed on Adora’s mind. She saw the way she still woke up in the middle of the night, the way she would pace the halls of the castle and stare up at the stars. Sure, Catra was the only Magicat she’d ever seen but she didn’t have the true and honest knowledge that she might be the last of her kind; that was a burden Adora bore alone. If this trip could help ease her mind in any way, Catra was happy to accompany her.

“I know… want to talk about it?” Catra asked quietly. She still wasn’t great at the whole feelings thing. Her wives had been helping her come out of her shell but the whole dealing with emotions thing was new to her. Adora quietly tapped her index finger against the back of Catra’s hand twice, a subtle code they’d developed as children in the Horde for getting messages to each other when Shadow Weaver wasn’t looking. That subtle motion was enough to convey that Adora didn’t want to talk about it, but she was grateful for having been asked. Catra smiled quietly at her before they continued to walk in quiet silence.

After about an hour of walking Adora froze in her tracks. Catra followed her gaze to see a looming structure in the distance. As they approached they studied it, noting how it loomed over a barren wasteland speckled with sparse remnants of buildings and farms. Whatever this civilization once was, it had been destroyed many eons ago. Even still, the looming building remained untouched. It was a large and vast castle, with a dried up moat and a rotting drawbridge. The mossy stone façade of the building appeared to resemble a skull, with jagged teeth and hollowed out eyes. Adora went deathly silent as they pried the iron doors open. What was this place?

“Is this what you saw in your dream?” Catra asked softly as they entered the ancient building, using the lights on her spacesuit to guide their way.

“Yeah…” She whispered quietly. They slowed their pace as they wandered the central hall, studying the looming portraits on the wall. There were various paintings of similar-looking blonde royals with bright blue eyes. 

“Family of yours?” Catra joked, trying to cut through the tension. Adora didn’t respond. They continued walking until they entered which had to have been the throne room once upon a time. Two once-golden thrones, rusted and tarnished by the ages and coated with a thick blanket of dust, rested at the end of a long carpet. Behind the throne, a miraculously untouched window of colorful stained glass loomed tall and proud, depicting a battle between two men, a blonde man in golden armor wielding a massive silver sword and a black-haired man in blue robes with a large staff. A single beam of sunlight, peering from beyond the blanket of thick clouds, peered through the stained glass and shone down on a sword protruding from a pedestal behind the throne. Catra looked up at the window as Adora walked to the sword, studying it. 

There was First Ones writing on the hilt. The hilt was made of untarnished silver, with a rather jagged crossguard and cool, metallic grip. The actual blade was somewhat diamond-shaped by the crossguard, and judging from how it extended Adora could only guess that the sword was big, likely longer than the Sword of Protection. She knelt down and studied the writing, running her hands along it. As she read it, her heart dropped into her stomach. “To defend Castle Grayskull… call the power.” she read aloud. Catra’s ears flicked at her wife’s words.

“Castle Grayskull? Is this where She-Ra came from?” She asked. Adora once again didn’t respond, grimacing as she stood. She wrapped both of her hands around the hilt and pulled with all her might. The blade didn’t budge. Catra stood back as Adora summoned her power and the hall was bathed in the golden light of She-Ra. Glowing hands gripped the sword once more and she grunted loudly, pulling as hard as she could. The pedestal rumbled and the hall seemed to tremble as the sword slowly but surely was removed from its prison. She held it aloft, comparing it to her own sword. The Sword of Protection was mighty, but this sword was every bit its equal even in the former’s currently enhanced state. She-Ra was strong enough to hold this new sword in one hand without issue, but in this instant the sword was heavier than the greatest weight she’d ever born. She studied it for another moment before transforming back into her normal state, the Sword of Protection disappearing and leaving her alone with this new blade. “I wonder what you can turn into with that thing,” Catra muttered quietly. Before they could experiment with it, their communicators began to beep with messages from home.  
“Bow? What’s up?” Adora asked quietly as Catra pulled the screen up, trying to mask the trepidation that came with her new discovery. Bow was clearly forcing a smile as he appeared on the screen.

“Hey guys! Just figured I’d uh… check in with you…” He started with a chuckle. “Find anything exciting?” Adora bit the inside of her cheek.

“Uh yeah…” Adora laughed nervously. “But it’s nothing that can’t wait until we get back. How’s everything back home?” Bow’s smile twitched.

“Oh just great! You know how things are here, nothing much has changed.” Bow laughed weakly. “You know how Glimmer is… oh there is one little teeeeeny tiny thing I should probably mention-“ Before he could continue on, the two ex-Horde soldiers cringed as a string of expletives the likes of which they’d never heard before filled the air in their wife’s voice, the telltale sign things were happening ahead of schedule. “You should… probably get back here before Casta does…” Adora nodded, promising him they’d be back as soon as they could. Catra closed the communicator as Adora, purely out of habit, strapped the new sword to her back. She wanted to further explore the castle and what secrets it held, but Catra grabbed her hand.

“You heard the man… we should go meet our kid, huh?” Catra said softly, leaning up to kiss Adora gently on the lips. Adora nodded quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Yeah, I guess we should…” She took a deep breath and transformed into She-Ra once more, lifting Catra into her arms and making a beeline for Darla. “We’re coming, baby Adam. Your mamas are coming.”  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

On the dark side of the galaxy, a dark mist dropped a lone figure onto the stone floor of a dark cave. Raspy, panting coughs were heard as the figure dragged itself over to a puddle, desperately trying to drink from it. Unfortunately, whatever water it could grab slipped through its decaying hands before it could reach the collapsing lips adorning its irreparably scarred face, patchy black hair falling out of its head. It coughed and groaned again before falling onto the ground, fading out of consciousness. Footsteps echoed throughout the cavern as black stiletto boots moved towards the figure. This new being, clad in dark purple robes of fine silk, knelt down and slender, feminine hands trailed the decay of the man’s face. “I had almost forgotten what he’d done to you, my love… it’s okay, I’ll protect you. You don’t have to worry about that bastard anymore.” Dark magic begin to pulse from her hands and the last thing the man saw before fading out of consciousness was a young woman with dark green eyes, fair skin, and long black hair. She held her hands to his face. “Recover your strength, and in time the universe will be rightfully yours, Keldor.”


	2. Call The Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we are introduced to Prince Adam, the first born of Queen Glimmer, Princess Adora, and Royal Guard Captain Catra. Fifteen years following the discovery of the sword, he takes the first step toward destiny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference: 
> 
> Adam is 15  
> Angella is 11  
> Finn is 6  
> Teela is 14  
> Duncan is 18
> 
> I hope y’all enjoy my completely canon-thrown-out versions of these characters. This might be the longest single chapter I’ve ever written so I hope y’all enjoy!

Adam’s breath caught in his throat as he ducked behind a column, waiting for the Bright Moon royal guard to make their way past before zipping down the hallway. The lanky teen’s fair, gossamer hair bounced and fell in front of his multi-colored eyes as he ran as fast as his spindly legs would carry him. He had one shot at this, if he missed his window he wouldn’t have a chance. The prince gathered every ounce of strength in his gangly legs and bounced, stretching out to grasp at his target as he kicked off the wall. His goal was just within his grasp…

…until Aqua knocked him clear off course with a splash of water from her personal supply thermos. He hissed as he bounced back onto the ground. The Salinean princess grinned and tossed her ponytail over her shoulder, dropping from her hiding spot. “Face it, Adam, you’ll never win at Capture the Flag if you don’t mix your strategy up.” The prince chuckled and blew his wet bangs out of his face, seeing Venus sneak past Aqua and her twin brother, Jetsam, to grab the flag and make a break for their base.

“Who said we didn’t?” Adam grinned. He could only sit back and watch as it devolved into a flurry of power, with water and gadgetry from the Salinean twins and lightning, vines, and sparkles flying from Venus and Bright Moon’s princess. Yeah, he didn’t have the power needed to keep up with everyone else but that didn’t stop him from doing whatever he could to help his team to victory. The teenager stood up and dusted himself off, stretching and turning to leave. “Now if you don’t mind, I have victory to celebrate!” He turned to walk away and slammed right into his mother, who was drumming her claws on her folded arms with a smirk on her face.

“You know your form stinks,” Catra replied with a grin. “And that’s to say nothing of the fact that you were supposed to be making a supply run today.” The teenager sighed, tossing his damp hair back.

“I thought I made a supply run last week!” He replied with a huff. “Besides, can’t Angie do it this time?” Catra rolled her eyes.

“You know your mothers want Angella to be practicing her magic here in Bright Moon whenever she’s not stuck in Mystacor with your great-aunt Casta. And Finn is much too young to be making supply runs at all, much less on their own, so don’t even give me that.” Catra smiled at her son. He reminded her a lot of herself when she was younger. He didn’t necessarily want to listen to orders, he very much had his own vision of the way things were supposed to go. And much like her, the fifteen year old had always seemed to struggle under the unfortunate weight of the expectations placed upon him, as much as she tried to alleviate that.

“Ugh, fine…” He sighed, wringing out his flowy white long sleeve shirt and trying to shake his pink vest as dry as he could. Catra stepped aside so she didn’t get splashed when he inevitably shook his fur out of as much water as possible. “What am I delivering this time?”

“You’re not delivering anything,” Catra replied with a soft smile, fishing a small list out of her shirt pocket. A far cry from her Horde days, Catra’s hair was tied up in a wild ponytail and she wore garb befitting of the Bright Moon royal guard, a cape hanging off one shoulder. Her dual wedding rings sparkled in the sunlight as she handed him the list. “Your Aunt Entrapta was working on some designs to help curb some of the irrigation problems we’ve had out near Thaymor, so we just need you to pick up some prototypes. Don’t worry, we’re sending Teela with you.” Catra couldn’t help but smirk as she saw the faintest dusting of a blush cross her son’s cheeks.

“T-T-Teela? Why Teela? Doesn’t she have special training in Mystacor?” His voice audibly cracked as soon as he started talking about his childhood best friend. He was definitely getting to the age where relationships were starting to happen and his mother never missed a chance to mess with him about it.

“She does,” Catra purred. “But some of her magic went a bit too wild and… well let’s just say I’m doing her a favor by sparing her from Casta. Besides, I think you two could use some one-on-one time.” The prince’s cheeks turned bright red as he turned away, avoiding his smirking mother’s gaze. “Don’t you agree?”

“Ugh, mom!” He groaned, heading back towards his room to gather his things. “Why do you have to be so embarrassing?” Catra grinned and called after him.

“Remind me to tell you about my mom some time, you’ll be grateful for the embarrassment.” Adam waved goodbye to his friends as they continued their game. He jogged up the stairs to his own room and walked in, seeing his faithful pet, a relatively large, panther-like cat with fair green skin and pink stripes, curled up at the foot of his bed. Adam quickly changed into a dry set of clothes, consisting of a white top and pink vest, with brown pants and plain shoes. He really didn’t feel all that into the finery that the Queen would expect of him in more professional settings, and this outfit was comfortable enough to travel in. He knelt beside the bed and scratched the cat’s ears gently. The large cat let out a soft, rumbling mewl and stretched out, opening its big brown eyes to look up at Adam. 

“Sorry Cringer, didn’t mean to wake you up bud.” Adam smiled. The cat slowly got up to lick his face repeatedly. Adam chuckled as Cringer jumped on top of him, knocking him to the ground. “Stop it, Cringer! I have a supply run to make!” He did his best to wrestle the large cat off of him before he heard the sound of his door opening. He looked up to see Teela standing at the door, grinning at him.

Teela, barely a year younger than him at 14, stood a few inches taller than him and was clad in a blue tank top with gold accents, a small rod strapped to her hip. Her black leggings were a bit ripped on the one leg, revealing a bit of a hidden feather tattoo, and she had simple black sneakers on. Her red hair was tied back in a simple braid down her back. “You ready to go, Trickfoot?” She asked him with a smile. Trickfoot was a name she’d given the lanky prince when they were little kids playing in the gardens of Mystacor, and to this day she was the only one allowed to bestow such a moniker on him. He rolled his eyes and slid out from underneath his pet.

“Yeah yeah I’m coming. Just wanted to say goodbye to Cringer, that’s all.” He smiled and pet his beloved cat on the head once more before Cringer returned to sleeping at the foot of his bed. Teela smiled at the cat, kneeling down to briefly scratch under his chin.

“And here I thought I was supposed to be your best friend,” she cooed with a sly grin, standing up to elbow Adam. He winced slightly at the subtle strike.

“Shut up, Teela…” he chuckled. He grabbed his bag and made sure the list Catra had given him was safely secured. “Okay if we leave now it shouldn’t take us too long to make it to Dryl, but given how late it is maybe we can ask Aunt Entrapta to crash overnight.” Teela shrugged and followed him out of the room.

“Doesn’t matter to me. I’m just here to be your bodyguard, Trickfoot, you’re the one leading this little expedition.” Adam tried not to let his blood boil at the very thought of it. None of his parents or family would ever admit to it, but it was clear why Catra had asked Teela to accompany him. Of all of the descendants of the legendary Princess Alliance, he was the only one without any powers to speak of. His mother, the queen, had tried to be supportive when he began coming of age and tried to bond with the Moonstone to no avail, but he saw the disappointment in her eyes. All of his friends had powers from their runestones, and both of his siblings were strong in ways he’d never be able to match. His younger sister Angella, three years his junior, was already more proficient with magic than anyone in their family had been. Even six year old Finn was teleporting all over the place without a care in the world! And here he was, barely strong enough to wield a weapon. Catra had tried teaching him how to fight behind both Glimmer and Adora’s backs, but it always ended the same. Sore muscles, frustration, and failure.

That’s not to say the world was in dire need of protection. Ever since the defeat of Horde Prime sixteen years ago, Etheria had witnessed an era of peace the likes of which they’d never seen before. Unity between the kingdoms was at an all time high and war was almost nonexistent. The only true threats outside of the Crimson Waste were the occasional rogue bandit or predatory animal, hence Catra asking Teela to protect Adam on their trip. Time and time again he had asked his mothers to go on these diplomatic trips alone, but Adora was ever protective and insisted he have some kind of protection. Glimmer, more like her own mother than she’d ever care to admit, was always quick to agree with her. Thankfully Teela’s proficiency in both magic and weaponry, thanks to her late mother’s latent magical ability, made her an easy candidate to accompany her friend as opposed to some faceless guard.

The rest of the day passed relatively uneventfully. Adam and Teela bantered playfully as they made their way through the teeming flora and fauna of the Whispering Woods and out through the plains towards Dryl. As the sun began to set upon the start of their trek up the mountainous path towards the Crypto Castle, the quiet early-evening air was rocked by a sudden explosion. Teela was quick to pull the rod from her hip, the rod effortlessly extending into a golden staff lined with glowing blue energy. “Get behind me, Adam…” She said softly, twirling the two handed staff as if it were nothing. Adam’s feline ears flattened against his hair as he stepped behind her. From up the mountain, in the direction of their destination, a humanoid figure sailed through the air toward them.

“OUT OF THE WAY!!!” A young male voice called as he rocketed towards them. Teela’s eyes widened and she pushed Adam out of the way before jumping backwards, backflipping out of the way. The figure zipped right at their location and barely managed to avoid slamming into the ground. It skittered above the ground for a few moments before stumbling and tumbling across the ground. Teela sighed and retracted her staff, walking towards the fallen figure. As the dust cleared from the crash, Adam could see a large, broad-shouldered figure clad in a green flight suit, silver robotic-gauntlets and boots on his arms and legs. Teela extended her hand to the figure. 

“Still working on this flight gear, Duncan?” Teela laughed. “I thought Entrapta had scrapped this project.” Removing his simple helmet and goggles, revealing long black hair done up in a partial man-bun and a scruffy goatee that didn’t entirely connect, the figure took Teela’s hand and stood slowly. As he got up, he rose to his full height of just over six feet tall, wiping himself off.

“She did, but I encouraged her to keep going.” Duncan laughed. “I think this suit could lead to a whole new era of peacekeeping in Etheria.” Teela rolled her eyes. Duncan was older than both of them at barely 18, but the three of them had been friends as long as they could recall. He had been taken in by Entrapta as a very little boy shortly after the fall of Horde Prime, and he had grown up to be somewhat of a research assistant. Or, as Teela reminded him time after time, a crash test dummy. “Besides, who doesn’t want to fly? Maybe once I get the kinks worked out you can give it a whirl, Adam.” Adam chuckled as he walked over to join the other two. He always felt skinny and small, especially when Duncan was around. The taller young man chuckled and slapped Adam’s back gently.

“Maybe someday if you can convince my moms,” he laughed. Duncan grinned. He had always thought of Adam much like a little cousin. Part of why he always was pushing Entrapta to work on gear more like this was so Adam could have a bit of help fulfilling what he believed to be his destiny. Adam smiled and gave the larger man a quick hug. “Is Aunt Entrapta available? My moms sent me to grab some prototypes.” He handed Duncan the list, who scanned it quickly.

“I think she and Hordak are in his lab doing some work on one of his rehab projects, but I think I can find them for you.” He grinned and led the trek back to the Crypto Castle. While it was still a mad labyrinth that most people couldn’t help to traverse, Entrapta had grown much more open to making things simpler for her friends and family in this peacetime, and Duncan was more than able to guide them through the bustling castle. Robot servants were rolling about everywhere, ferrying tiny food and blueprints and dirty dishes.

“Good to see Entrapta is still as independent as ever,” Teela joked quietly, folding her arms over her chest. Duncan chuckled, snagging a small soda off of one of the trays.

“Yeah she’s still doing the whole bot thing,” he laughed. “She’s getting better though, especially thanks to Hordak and Gizmo.” He guided the Bright Moon duo down the stairs to Entrapta’s lab. Halfway down the stairs, Adam slowed his pace as faint whispers reached his ears.

“Did you guys hear that?” Adam asked quietly. Teela looked over her shoulder at him.

“No? Are you feeling okay, Adam?” She asked softly. His ears flicked as he shook his head. 

“Yeah… it’s nothing, must just be hearing things…” he chuckled. Teela and Duncan exchanged concerned glances and shrugged before continuing on. They made their way into Entrapta’s lab and Duncan began rifling through some file cabinets, leaving Teela and Adam to explore. The lab was cluttered as ever, projects and gadgets all over the place. Teela picked up what appeared to be some new kind of night vision goggles and placed them on her head, chuckling playfully. Adam walked around the lab, following various cables to see what plugged into where. He followed several cables to a large silver sword on a pedestal by the end of the room.

It was indeed the very sword Adora had recovered from the desolate Castle Grayskull roughly fifteen years prior, and in that time none of them had grown any closer to knowing the truth of the sword’s origins. There were monitors and machines hooked up to the sword, as there was no mistaking it was First Ones tech just as the Sword of Protection, but there didn’t appear to be any runestone and they hadn’t been able to access any power from it. Adam looked forlornly at the sword, running a few fingers along the length of the blade. 

Some secret part of him wished to become strong enough to wield this blade like a proper knight. After all if he were to be King of Bright Moon someday, he would need a weapon befitting royalty. Adam looked over his shoulder to see if either of his companions were looking. Duncan was lost in his search and Teela was more than focused on some new staff designs she’d found laying around. He leaned in and studied the sword. They all knew what the inscription meant, thanks to Adora’s ability to translate, yet he was able to read it just fine. “Call the power…” he whispered quietly. He took a deep breath and wrapped his furry hands around the sword’s mighty hilt. As he did the whispers all came flooding at once, filling his head with a language he’d never spoken, words he’d never known. One phrase continued to stand out above all others. *Call the power*. His eyes seemed to glaze over as he pulled on the sword’s hilt. 

To this point, only Adora had ever been able to lift the sword without technological aid, and now the scrawny prince was pulling the blade as if it were nothing. At this point Teela noticed this going on and her eyes went wide. “Adam!? What are you doing? We shouldn’t mess with any of this stuff, we don’t know what Entrapta has hooked up to this thing!” The cables and monitors fell off of the blade as he pulled it. *Call the power*.

The monitors began to beep and flash as the sword was disconnected and Duncan was immediately alerted. He rushed back to see Adam holding the sword in his hands. “What the… Teela? What’s going on with him?” Teela pulled out her staff. 

“I don’t know… Adam, drop the sword!” Adam didn’t hear her. He was so singularly focused on one goal. *Call the power*. With a mighty grunt he held the sword aloft and pointed it to the sky with both hands. Teela and Duncan’s jaws dropped, in no universe expecting what could have come next.

“By the power of Grayskull!”

A bolt of lightning struck the outstretched sword and Adam’s body became engulfed in light. He grew to just under 8 feet tall, his lanky and gangly form swelling with pure muscle mass. His tangled gossamer hair turned into a silken mane of gold falling past his broad shoulders, his feline ears still protruding proudly from his hair. With both hands he twirled the mighty blade and jammed it into the ground at his feet, the very terrain trembling. The light began to morph into gold-trimmed black pants, matching leather boots, a belt with a prominent buckle, and a sleeveless black scale mail breastplate lined with fur and topped with a brown leather harness in the shape of an X with a crest in the middle. Golden armored bracers appeared on his forearms as he gripped the sword’s hilt with one meaty hand, his tiny feline claws extending into proper daggers. The silver blade turned a blazing white as it extended in both length and width before fading into a gold-lined platinum color.. The crossguard shifted and twisted to resemble a more demented form of his mother’s blade. His multicolored eyes sparkled as he drew the six foot blade from the cracked ground with one hand and held it before him. In a deep voice a far cry from his usual scratchy caterwaul, he opened his mouth and let out a defiant battle cry.

“I HAVE THE POWER!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! I’d love to hear what you have to say in a comment! Hopefully they won’t all be this wordy. Or maybe they will. I don’t know what’ll happen. Who’s to say?
> 
> Thanks! Hope you’re enjoying it so far!


	3. Power Awoken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein Adora feels a shift in the balance of the Universe, and Adam deals with the transformation unlocked by the sword.

Adora dropped her fork, bolting upright at the dinner table. Catra was busy trying to wrangle Finn into their seat while trying to cut up their dinner and Angella was too busy rambling to her mothers about her magic training with Castaspella, but Glimmer didn’t miss Adora’s reaction. “Adora? What’s wrong?” Glimmer asked. The Queen had been thoroughly enjoying the period of peace the Kingdoms had been experiencing in the years following the defeat of Horde Prime, but she knew all too well that her wives were soldiers first and foremost, always on edge. Adora was especially on edge, especially on nights when Adam was out on a supply run. Adora didn’t say anything, nervously running her hands along her bare forearms.

It was at this point that Catra picked up on Adora’s sudden reactions. “Babe? You good?” She asked cautiously. Even if she was always on the lookout for any dangers, Adora was never this rigid for no reason. Adora didn’t respond at first. She stood from the table and walked over to the dining hall’s grand windows, her golden heels clacking on the floor of the hall. Glimmer and Catra exchanged a knowing glance and Glimmer immediately began engaging their children while Catra quickly walked to join Adora. Her gloved hand found Adora’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. “What is it, Adora?” Catra asked softly, looking up at Adora’s steely gaze. Adora sighed heavily as she looked out over the horizon, almost as if she were looking for something. 

“I don’t know…” She replied in a hushed tone. “I can’t explain it… but it’s like I can feel something powerful…” Catra’s eyes widened gently.

“Like… a good kind of powerful?” 

“Not sure if it’s good or bad… but it’s crazy powerful. We should let the guard know-“ Adora turned to leave the dining hall before Catra stopped her, gently pressing back against her shoulders with both hands.

“Let’s not get too crazy, let’s take it easy. If you don’t know if it’s good or bad, then let’s just wait for right now. Bright Moon is as secure as it ever was. You know as well as I do that no one could take Bright Moon during the war, and that was before a badass general and She-Ra.” Catra gave her a reassuring smile as her hands moved to hold Adora’s. “Don’t worry until we have reason to. It might be nothing, like when that stupid red dot shows up in our bedroom sometimes and we still can’t figure out if it’s anything bad but it hasn’t harmed us yet.” Adora couldn’t help but stifle a giggle, sighing quietly. 

“You’re right, Catra. Who’d have thought you’d ever be the voice of reason?” Adora replied with a slight grin. Catra rolled her eyes and turned back towards the table, playfully hipchecking her wife as she did.

“You two are making me soft,” she laughed. “Now come on, dinner’s gonna get cold.” Adora nodded to Catra, but before she followed her back to the table she turned to look out the window once more. She took a deep breath, trying to get a bead on the power she was sensing.

“Please be careful, Adam…”

\--

Teela and Duncan had to shield their eyes from the blinding light pouring off of Adam. When the light finally started to die and their eyes adjusted, they couldn’t help but gawk at the hulking muscle man standing before them. The man before them gripped the sword in his hands, his arms practically bulging with veins and muscles. He looked at the sword in his hands and back at Teela and Duncan before opening his mouth and beginning to speak, his voice deep and gravelly. “Guys? What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the sword?” The two of them looked at each other before looking up at him. The man froze. “Wait… what’s wrong with my voice?” He raised a hand to his throat. He quickly began rummaging around the cluttered lab for a mirror, eventually grabbing a polished exam slab that must have weighed a couple hundred pounds easily and lifting it like it was nothing, taking in his reflection.

Then he screamed.

The sword clattered to the ground as he stumbled backwards. “What the hell happened to me!?” Duncan hesitantly began preparing his weapons, unsure of what he was dealing with, and Teela gripped her staff tighter. The sorceress-in-training stepped forward and took up a fighting stance, aiming her staff at the man. 

“Okay… what the hell are you and what did you do with Adam!?” She hissed quietly, not wanting to anger the goliath of a man before her. The man meanwhile was rubbing his arms, as if he was trying to rub his muscles completely off of himself. 

“Teela, it is me!” He cried, panic in his voice. “It’s me, Adam!” Teela’s eyes widened. 

“Wait… Adam? That’s really you?” She looked over at the sword on the ground and, knowing his parentage, it wasn’t hard for her to put two and two together. “Huh… looks like you did have some power in you after all. This must be your She-Ra form.” Duncan let out a sigh of relief and powered down the weapons in his suit, trusting in the explanation Teela was giving. “How did you do that? Did it hurt?” Adam shrugged and stood at his full height, towering over the two of them.

“I can’t explain it. I just felt this voice, I didn’t even hear it… saying these words… It was like I had to hold the sword and… call the power…” He looked down at his meaty paws. “How do I turn it off?”

“How should we know?” Duncan replied, looking over to the sword. “How does your mom turn off her She-Ra form? Does she have to like… cast a spell or something?” Adam walked over to the giant blade and picked it up, studying the blade. Teela began walking a circle around the transformed teenager.

“And what should we call this form? As much as I want to call you She-Ra 2, for the first time I think you might be able to beat me in a fight,” she teased. She poked his broad shoulders with her staff, almost as if she were testing him. “Maybe. Depends on how well you can use those new biceps of yours.” His ears flattened in mild annoyance.

“Why is your first response to think about fighting me?” He replied flatly. Teela shrugged and continued walking around him.

“Well you’re all roided out and muscular now… How about… He-Man?” She replied with a stupid grin. Adam narrowed his eyes at her.

“That name is stupid.”

“Any worse than She-Ra?”

“…He-Man it is.” Before they could progress much further with their examination of Adam’s new form, now dubbed He-Man, they heard the clatter of metal behind them. The three of them whirled around to see Entrapta standing at the doorway to the lab, a huge bin of scrap metal having fallen to the floor as her eyes went wide. Adam raised his hands. “Aunt Entrapta, I can explain…” Of course he didn’t get a chance to say much more before Entrapta was on him with surprising speed, her prehensile hair exploring his form from the ponytail she now kept it in.

“FASCINATING!” She squealed happily as she scaled his back like a tree. Duncan sighed and rubbed his temples. Teela could only laugh as He-Man tried to avoid Entrapta’s probing. “So this is what the emergency readings from the sword were telling me! The Relic must have unlocked a First Ones transformation! This is Adam, right?” She looked to Duncan for confirmation, which was returned with a solid nod. “AMAZING! Muscle mass exponentially increased, fur growth increased by a factorial we’ve not yet seen before!” One of her tendrils plucked a few strands of fur from his shoulder, which caused He-Man to simply let out a feline growl in response. “This is truly something to behold! It’s like She-Ra only more primal! More feline! More… big!” While He-Man picked her off his back and tried to shake him off his arm, Teela turned to Duncan. 

“Okay so clearly we have to get him out of here before she turns a scalpel on him.” She folded her arms across her chest. “We need to distract her while grabbing the plans and heading home. And more importantly we need to figure out what the heck that sword can do.” Duncan nodded.

“Agreed. Luckily, if my time as her apprentice has taught me anything, it’s that her attention span is as short as her knowledge is vast.” He cleared his throat and walked over toward He-Man. “Princess Entrapa, if I may…” She didn’t even seem to notice, trying to swab his ears with what can only be described as a giant metal cotton swab. “Would it not make more sense to fetch Hordak? Studying the Relic and its effect on the Prince could go far in his rehabilitation process.” Entrapta lit up like a firework.

“EXCELLENT POINT!” Entrapta cried. “Don’t go anywhere, I’m going to go get Hordak. OOOO and Wrong Hordak too, he will absolutely love this! I think he’s making tiny corn muffins!” Entrapta quickly hopped down from He-Man’s shoulders and raced out of the room. Duncan quickly grabbed a few bits and bobs from one of the worktables, throwing them into a bag, and handed it off to Teela. 

“Quick, take the prototypes and get Adam out of here. When there’s science she’s always way faster.” Teela nodded and grabbed He-Man’s meaty hand.

“Right. Thanks for the assist, Dunc. Once we figure out what’s going on, we’ll let you know.” Teela grinned and began pulling on He-Man’s hand. “Come on, big guy. It’s either get a move on or get dissected.” It didn’t take much more convincing than that. He-Man quickly made a beeline for the exit, retracing his steps and pulling Teela along in the process. Turns out, he was also way faster in this new form. Ducking through certain doorways and making sure to bring the sword with him, he barrelled out of the Crypto Castle and began racing for Bright Moon, Teela clinging to his back like an excited spidermonkey. As he ran, countless thoughts ran through Adam’s mind. Of course, he was concerned about this new transformation, what his mothers would say, and of course the repercussions of stealing from his aunt. But first and foremost, all he could think about was how it felt to be this fast, this strong. His worries melted away as his lips curled into a grin and, Teela screaming with excitement and fear, he took a mighty leap and bounded into the distance.

\--

Black stilettoes clacked against the stone floors of the decrepit fortress. Wind whipped through the cavernous halls, black hair flowing gently. Her purple robes clung gently to her slender and shapely form. She made her way to the cliff’s precipice, where her beloved was standing and gazing up at the stars. “My King… there’s been an awakening.”

“I’m well aware, Evil-Lyn…” a deep, guttural voice replied. A black gloved hand wrapped tightly around a scepter, a dark purple-hooded face tilted upwards towards the sky. “The descendant of Randor has finally activated the Sword of Power.”

“Shall I prepare our forces, my King?” She asked quietly. The figure didn’t move. 

“No. Let me watch. My power is not yet completely restored, and the blade’s power cannot be ignored.” He lifted the scepter and tapped it against the stone floor, a deafening crack resounding throughout the throne room. “We will test them, in due time. As you well know, I underestimated the power of Grayskull once…” The hooded figure turned its face toward her, revealing an ashen white skull where a face should be. “This is a mistake I will not repeat.” Evil-Lyn nodded and knelt before him.

“Thy will be done, Keldor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long! Life got far too hectic and crazy and I had killer writer's block. Hopefully this will be the first of many more frequent updates. Hope everyone likes my take on the He-Man mythos. Next chapter will be getting into a bit of action and will give us more of the characters we know and love. Tell me what you thought in the comments! Thank you for reading, y'all, you're the best!


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